Now own desirable classic Civil War-era coins with two different sets of short-lived 1865-1889 nickel 3¢ pieces! The now obsolete, copper-nickel 3¢ piece helped alleviate a severe coin shortage caused by hoarding during the Civil War. With the exception of the first two years, mintages never topped 4 million. And after 1870, when coins that had been hoarded returned to circulation, shortages eased and mintages of 3¢ pieces dropped to less than a million annually. In time, many were melted to strike 5¢ nickels – making these nickel 3¢ coins elusive for collectors today. Each set brings you 5 consecutively dated coins – all hand selected. Buy both – and SAVE!